Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic/menus

This Proto-Celtic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Celtic

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *men- (“small”)^[1]

Adjective

*menus

small, minute

Inflection

Welsh shows a stem shape *man-, indicating an original ablauting u-stem paradigm that was thematized into *menwo- in Irish.^[2]

U-stem
masculine	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*menus	*menū	*menowes
vocative	*menu	*menū	*menūs
accusative	*menum	*menū	*menums
genitive	*manous	*manous	*manowom
dative	*manou	*manubom	*manubos
instrumental	*manū	*manubim	*manubis
feminine	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*menus	*menū	*menowes
vocative	*menu	*menū	*menūs
accusative	*menum	*menū	*menums
genitive	*manous	*manous	*manowom
dative	*manou	*manubom	*manubos
instrumental	*manū	*manubim	*manubis
neuter	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*menu	*menū	*menwā
vocative	*menu	*menū	*menwā
accusative	*menu	*menū	*menwā
genitive	*manous	*manous	*manowom
dative	*manou	*manubom	*manubos
instrumental	*manū	*manubim	*manubis

Derived terms

*menwīkos

Descendants

Proto-Brythonic:
- ⇒ Old Welsh: dimanuo (3sg. pres. subj.)
  - Middle Welsh: divanw
    - Welsh: difenwi
Old Irish: menb
- Middle Irish: menb
  - Scottish Gaelic: meanbh

References

^ Matasović, Ranko (2009) “*menwo-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 267
^ Zair, Nicholas (2012) The reflexes of the Proto-Indo-European laryngeals in Celtic, Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 207

[1] Matasović, Ranko (2009) “*menwo-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 267

[2] Zair, Nicholas (2012) The reflexes of the Proto-Indo-European laryngeals in Celtic, Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 207

[1]

[2]